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Author
Topic: Tested Positive (Read 1752 times)

I was tested HIV Positive two months ago. My CD4 is 57(very low) and viral load is 70000.I suffered from PCP Pnumonia.I did not go to work for 3 weeks.My doctor put me on medication for pnumonia. My doctor want to wait on HIV drugs until pnumonia goes away.Scared as shit. Can some one suggest me what all the things i should do and wahat all things i should not do. I dont know how bad is my situation. Is anyone here on the same boat. Plz share your experience.

PCP makes you very weak, and a while (maybe even as short as 2 weeks) on (er, strong) anti-PCP meds to stailise your lungs etc is a good idea. You will (I hope) be monitored closely. If treated properly the PCP, while horrible, horrible, will resolve. Starting meds when you are a bit better is probably the next step after this.

PCP is serious, and I ain't gonna pretend it is not still a leading cause of death for people diagnosed with low CD4 counts, but I wouldn't go booking the fllorist just yet, the docs seem on top of the situation, your viral load ain't that high & your CD4 is not super, super low, PCP is well understood and medics are very good at treating it these days.

Sorry for your diagnosis and current bout of PCP. As Newt said, aggressive treatment of PCP can have great results and I hope you are on the mend.

First, I would take a look at the lessons here at this site. They are very helpful and can give you a good overview of HIV, the opportunistic infections that are possible, medications, etc.

That said, talk to your doc about medications to stave off other opportunistic infections. Because your CD4 is below 100, I would ask about drugs to help prevent other infections such as MAC (Mycobacterium Avium Complex).

These medications, called prophylaxes, are meant to prevent your contracting opportunistic infections until such time as your CD4s climb back up to a more safe level.

It is pretty standard to begin these drugs even prior to taking ARVs (anti-HIV medications).

I know this is probably a very emotional time for you. Just finding out you are positive is tough enough. Having to deal with PCP is even more difficult.

As discouraging as the present circumstances may feel to you, I just want to say that I have known others to rebound from far worse situations. The good thing is that you're under medical care so everything is being watched. No matter how crapped out you migiht be feeling now it's going to get better. Really.

Once you get past this difficult time and are on to the meds I expect you will see a significant change. Those HIV meds are very powerful drugs and once they kick in they really do the job. I'm thinking right now of one guy I know who had PCP twice and only learned he was poz when he had it for the first time. That was a decade ago and he was so depressed he was ready to give up. Right now he's on vacation in the Caribbean and has so recovered that he's been working again for several years and even began a new career as an actor, something he always wanted to do.

As things move along you will also learn more about other things you can do to improve and protect your health.